Dalit girl was not raped before being set on fire: Police

The minor dalit girl, who died on August 8 after being set on fire by two local youths in Kendrapara district’s Kharinasi village, was not raped, according to the latest police findings.

The perpetrators of the crime had attempted to rape her. But the victim had put up brave front and had thwarted the rape bid on her. The offenders had failed to sexually abuse following strong resistance by the victim girl, police said.

“Failure on their parts provoked the duo to burn alive the victim girl,” police said today citing the dying declaration made by the victim.

The 13-year-old school girl of a local government-run school was allegedly gang-raped and set ablaze by two youths in seaside village Kharinashi on 28th July. Later, the victim girl succumbed to burn injuries on her way to a hospital in Delhi on August 8.

FIR lodged in this connection had charged that the girl was raped.

However the rape was not perpetrated as mentioned in the FIR, said Sub Divisional Police Officer (human rights protection cell), Shantanu Kumar Padhee.

The victim’s dying declaration was recorded by Kendrapara police in presence of a magistrate in SCB Medical College and Hospital at Cuttack on July 29.

Earlier, the District Child Protection Unit (DPCU) had found that both the accused to be minors after verifying the school admission registers.

Police are looking into the ‘age-angle’ of the accused persons. If they are found out to be minors, they would be sent to child reform home. Their trial would take place at juvenile court, said Kendrapara Superintendent of Police, Sarthak Sarangi. (PT